Age Estimation of Living Sea Otters
Garshelis DL. 1984. Age Estimation of Living Sea Otters. The Journal of Wildlife Management. 48(2):456-463
First premolars extracted from 46 immobilized sea otters (Enhydra lutris) in Prince William Sound, Alaska, were used to ascertain age by counting cementum annuli in stained, longitudinal sections. Weight, body measurements, teeth condition, and pelage coloration were strongly associated with age as estimated from cementum annuli. A relationship between morphological characteristics and cementum age was particularly evident in males. In instances where teeth cannot be extracted, morphological characteristics provide a means for estimating age. Previous investigators used such characteristics as weight and pelage coloration to assess age, but were unable to verify their estimates.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Garshelis, David
- Units
- GLBA , KLGO , SEAN , SITK
- Keywords
- Age, Classification, Enhydra lutris, estimation, Methods, Prince William Sound, Statistics